Missouri’s Rowcrop Planting Blitz Continues

It’s not even May and Missouri nearly has three-fifths of its corn in the ground.  The weekly USDA Crop Progress report indicates that 58 percent of Missouri’s corn crop is planted, a jump of 28 percent in the past week.  That’s 40 points more than the average pace and 49 points better than last year.  11 percent of the crop emerged prior to Sunday, when record lows were set across the state.  Normally two percent has emerged at this point.  The rapid progress is also present in soybeans, where one-sixth of Missouri’s intended crop is planted.  That’s 15 points ahead of normal and the five-year average.  Two percent have already emerged.

Farmers in the Bootheel have also hit the gas when it comes to rice planting.  63 percent of that crop is planted, when this time a year ago just one percent had been planted.  The five-year average is 24 percent.  12 percent of the crop has emerged, seven points better than average.  The first one percent of cotton is planted, in line with the five-year average.

12 percent of winter wheat has headed, double the usual amount and nine points better than a year ago.  68 percent of the crop is rated good to excellent, down four points from last week, while just four percent is listed in poor condition.  Increasing dryness is causing weakness to reappear in our pastures, with 49 percent rated good to excellent, down eight points from a week ago.  Eight percent of fields are rated poor or very poor, double last week’s total.  47 percent of Missouri farmers report a shortage of hay supply, but just seven percent say they’re short on stock water.

Precipitation was again noticeably below normal, with just 0.58″ falling on average last week.  As a result, 26 percent of topsoil and 23 percent of subsoil lack adequate moisture.  By comparison, four percent of both are believed to have a surplus.  An average of 4.7 days were suitable for fieldwork, as temperatures were just over a degree below normal at 56.6°F.